Forever In Our Stars
by GearUnlocked
Summary: AU. Azusa Nakano is a girl whose daily life of music and fun has just been turned around. Suffering from a terminal disease, she's found her new life to be depressing and unbearable to live. Everyday is just another day of sorrow, that is until she meets Yui Hirasawa, and then the real adventure of music and love begins. YuiAzu.
1. Chapter 1 - My Life

**Author's Notes**

**\- **Hey everyone! Welcome to my story, _Forever in Our Stars_, a story about Azusa and her struggles with cancer. Throughout the story, an airheaded girl befriends Azusa and soon becomes her best friend. This story involves the righteousness of music and the spirit of adventure. Enjoy the first chapter!

**\- **I do not own _K-On! _in any way possible. If I did, I probably would have killed the series with the blasphemy of the stories I write.

* * *

**Forever in Our Stars**

**Chapter 1 – Prologue, My Life**

* * *

"_I know the world isn't fair, but why isn't it ever unfair in my favor?" – Bill Watterson_

* * *

My name is Azusa Nakano and I've been diagnosed with Stage I Hodgkin Lymphoma. Cancer sucks, especially when you're young. You get to see other kids your age running around and enjoying their life while you're strapped to an IV line. My new home is the Sakuragaoka Medical Center, where I live in my very own room. I remembered my life before I came here. My life was pretty peaceful, really. I had friends, good grades, and a kick-ass position as the Rhythm Guitarist in my own band, the Wakaba Girls.

"Wake up, Azusa-chan! It's time for your breakfast!" my nurse, Ayana Taketatsu, said to me. She was a pretty cheerful woman, but she had a lot to learn though, because she was often a complete klutz.

"Morning already?" I asked as she moved the curtains to the side, letting the bright sunlight flood into my room, "Well if that didn't blind me, I don't know what will. Do you mind closing the curtains? I like the dark," I said as I covered my eyes from the light.

"Oh don't be such a downer, Azusa-chan," Ayana scolded me. Even though she was a klutz, she knew a lot about happiness and the joys of life.

I sighed at her, "I'm only a downer because there are no ups in my life."

"Don't you dare say that, Azusa-chan!" Ayana tried to sound stern, but with such a soft and polite voice, it would be almost impossible for her to do that.

"I think I'm going to skip on breakfast today, Ayana," I said to her as I removed my blanket and sat on the edge of my bed, "I'm not really feeling hungry," I brought myself off my bed and slipped into my pink slippers that were next to my bed.

"O-okay, Azusa-chan!" Ayana called after me, "Be sure to take your medication!"

"Yeah, yeah…" I said as I waved her off, "I'll be fine."

I exited my room and walked through the hallways of the large structure. Already there were doctors and nurses running around, with a few fellow patients going for their morning walk, just like me.

Usually I would just walk around Sakuragaoka, staring out the windows, reading the occasional book, or maybe finding a little joy in the rare visits I get from my mother, who works as a successful lawyer in Tokyo. 246.33 miles between each other and she still finds the once a month visit to be enough to show me how much she really loves me. Yep, this was my schedule everyday ever since I got here. But this was all before she arrived. This was all before Yui Hirasawa entered my life.

"Good morning, Azunyan!" I heard a childish voice say from behind. Before I could turn around, I felt something heavy jump on my back. Already I knew it was _her_… Yui Hirasawa…

I felt her warm hands caress my hair as if it was fur on a cat. I wouldn't really say I'm a cat, since I'm not really into them. I'm not really into pets at all. Every time I would go over to a friends' house, particularly Jun Suzuki, her cat would be all over me.

"Uh… good morning, Hirasawa-san…" I said, slowly breaking free of her grip on me. I turned around and saw Yui in a gown that every patient had to wear, including me. It was white gown that had blue dots all over, and it was tied up in the back.

"So, what are you doing today, Azunyan?" she asked me with polite. Her brown hair had two yellow pins on the right side of her hair. Her brown eyes stared deep into my own as if she was staring into my soul.

"Doing what I do every day. Nothing," I said, "And stop calling me that."

"But it's so cute, Azunyan!" Yui squealed, "A cute name fits a cute girl, y'know."

I felt my face heat up, "I-I'm not cute…"

"Adorable?"

"No."

"Beautiful?"

"No."

"Flat?"

"No–hey!" I glared at the brunette in-front of me and she giggled.

"I'm just kidding… Azunyan," she smiled. I sighed at her and she continued to giggle. I turned around and left Yui behind as she giggled away. A few seconds and I was down the hallway, I heard footsteps approaching and found Yui at my side. We walked together for a few more steps before I cleared my throat.

"Shouldn't you be doing something, Hirasawa-san?" I asked her. She stared off into space for a moment and put her hand on her chin, lightly tapping it.

"Nope. Not today," she replied.

"No visitors today like usual?" I asked. She nodded and I looked away.

"Mio-chan, Ricchan, and Mugi-chan are all busy today," she said.

"I… I don't know them, Hirasawa-san," I told her. She oohed at my comment and continued walking with me.

"So, first there's Ricchan. She's the drummer of our band," she began. I raised an eyebrow at her as she continued, "Ricchan is just a nickname, and her real name is Ritsu Tainaka. She's really nice! Oh, and she's funny. She's the spirit of our band."

"Hirasawa-san…" I said, she stopped and looked at me, "My head hurts, please… maybe you can tell me some other time?"

"Oh… oh… I'm sorry, Azunyan… I thought…" she looked way. I felt bad and sighed.

"Okay… fine. Tell me some more about your friends, Hirasawa-san," I told her. I saw the light in her eyes sparkle as she smiled.

"Next is Mio Akiyama, also known as Mio-chan! She is super mature! She's plays bass and is completely amazing at it! Mio-chan and Ricchan have been best friends ever since they were little kids. Mio-chan can, at times, be a little kid in heart, especially when we talk about something sensitive," Yui said, "Mio-chan is very easily to scare and sometimes Ricchan goes too far with it. I remember, one time Ricchan scared Mio-chan to a point where they stopped talking for a week."

"Akiyama-san sounds like a good person," I said to Yui. She nodded and hummed.

"The last member of Houkago Tea Time is Tsumugi Kotobuki, but we like to call her Mugi-chan! She's very nice and quite beautiful. She is the keyboardist of HTT and also serves us tea during practice! Trust me, Azunyan, when you get a taste of Mugi-chan's tea and cake, you can finally die happy," she said. I raised an eyebrow at her and cleared my throat. Did she forget that I have cancer?

"Eh? Hirasawa-san…"

"Oh! I'm so sorry! You'll make it through! I didn't mean to offend you in any way at all!" she quickly bowed. I sighed and shook my head as Yui continued bowing.

"It's fine…" I said to her. She looked up and a worried expression was plastered all over her face.

"Anyways, Mugi-chan is one of the nicest people you can ever meet! She's rich and lives in this big mansion and always has the warmest smile on her face. She's a really good friend…"

"A mansion, huh?" I asked. Yui nodded at my question. We continued walking down the hallway to whoever knows where. To be honest, I just like to walk around. It's some kind of peace that I can actually tolerate besides just sitting alone in my hospital room.

"Oh, good morning, Toyosaki-san!" Yui called out and waved. I looked to where she was waving and saw her waving to Aki Toyosaki, one of the nurses that took care of me, along with Yui. She was a really nice girl and was usually very easy to talk to. She looked at Yui and waved back, sporting a small smile on her face as she went back to her work.

"I see you've gotten to know the nurses, eh?" I asked.

"Mhm!" Yui nodded, "Even though this is only my second week here, I'm already close with Toyosaki-san and Taketatsu-san. Speaking of how long I've been here, how long have you been here at the hospital, Azunyan?"

"About 5 months…" I said. I felt a little anger as it has already been 5 months since I was last in the outside world, where I had school to worry about rather than the cancer in my body. Luckily for me, the hospital is near where I lived, so friends like Jun, Ui, Sumire, and Nao can easily visit me whenever they want.

"Wow! That's a long time!" Yui said. I slowly shook my head in agreement as I thought about my friends in the Wakaba Girls. The last time they ever visited me was about a week ago, when Jun told me that Sumire and Nao are thinking about finding a rhythm guitarist to temporarily replace me. I still remember the piercing words she used…

* * *

**Forever In Our Stars**

* * *

"_You guys want to replace me?" I asked, stunned as I lay on my bed in my hospital room. I looked at my bushy-haired friend, Jun Suzuki, for an answer. She looked at me and nervously grinned._

"_We still have to call a vote, Azusa," she told me, "Ui's probably going to reject the idea and I need your vote, since you're still apart of the Light Music Club."_

"_I just want to know why you guys are thinking about this, Jun," I said, "Whose idea was it?"_

_Jun heavily sighed and looked into my eyes. Her red eyes were staring deep into my orange eyes as she began, "It was Nao and Sumire that brought up the idea. It's not like we don't want you in the band, but we just need somebody to fill in for you while you… recover."_

"_You guys seriously need to do this?" I scoffed, "You three probably have no faith that I'll get better…"_

_Jun looked at me again as she sniffled, "No. We don't have any faith, Azusa… not at this time. I know that we've been friends for a long time, but when you brought me into the Light Music Club, that took over my life. It changed how I live and how I think. The Light Music Club molded me from a loser to one of the coolest kids at school. And I like it."_

"_You're throwing our friendship out the window?" I felt my eyes tear up, "You're going to replace me and kick me out of my own band just for fame at school? Just so you can stay as one of the popular kids?"_

"… _Yes. I'm sorry, Azusa…" Jun said, "But I still need your vote."_

"_I… I… I vote yes on picking someone to replace me…" I said. Jun looked at me with a stunned look on her face._

"_Well… that was easier than expected…" she sighed with relief as she wiped away the sweat from her forehead._

"_Are we still going to be friends?" I asked her. She looked at me and nodded._

"_It's just a band, Azusa," she said, "And with you in it, we're a useless band."_

"_What?" I asked._

"_Get better, Azusa," Jun said as she walked to my door. She turned the handle and walked outside, only to peek back in, "Everyone sends their best."_

_And with that, the door closed. I waited for a few seconds before tears began streaming down my face and all I could feel in my heart was pain and utter uselessness. It was a new-found pain that I've never suffered from before. It was the pain of a broken heart._

* * *

**Forever In Our Stars**

* * *

"Hirasawa-san?" I asked. Yui looked at me with a questionable face, "Since you're in a band and you're going to be here for a while. Do you ever think that your band would just kick you out since you can't play with them?"

"Eh? Why would they do that? They're my friends, Azunyan," Yui replied, "Friends don't do that to each other because… well, that's why they're your friends."

"I see…" I said as I thought about Jun and her words that shattered my heart, "Hey, Hirasawa-san…" I said to her, "Since you know that I have Stage I Hodgkin Lymphoma… what's going on with you? Like, your cancer…"

"Oh, I'm dying…" she bluntly said. My eyes widened and Yui nodded her head, "Just kidding, but I have Stage I Colon Cancer. It's treatable, so my stay here won't be long."

"Yui-senpai! It's not nice to joke about something so serious! Especially in the cancer ward!" I scolded her. She frowned before a smile sparked to her face.

"You just called me… 'Yui-senpai'…" she giggled. I felt my face flush with heat before looking away.

"It was just a reaction! Don't get any ideas!" I yelled at her, my face still warm.

"Hehe… you got it… Azunyan," she giggled. I groaned and continued walking down the hallway, with Yui by my side.

I'm going to miss my normal days at Sakuragaoka Medical Center, but I'm going to miss my normal life even more. My days at Sakuragaoka won't be normal at all anymore with Yui Hirasawa by my side now. Then again, I can always get used to being called Azunyan and having the presence of Yui Hirasawa around me? Nah…

Maybe I could give it a whirl. Time will tell.

* * *

**Forever In Our Stars**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**\- **If you thought that this story is based off of John Green's _The Fault in Our Stars_, you're correct! Good job! Don't worry, Azusa won't fall in love with some muscular guy named Augustus Waters, but instead… well, this is a YuiAzu fanfic after all.

**\- **Yes, I know that Ui Hirasawa is a part of the Wakaba Girls and since Yui is Ui's sister, Yui would've met Azusa already. Don't worry, I have a plan for that.

**\- **Azusa's mother is a successful lawyer and her father is a traveling jazz musician. Her mother was a musician as well and the two of them formed a dynamic jazz duo.

**\- **Jun depicted as a mean girl?! What?! Eh, we'll see where Jun's rash behavior leads her.

**\- **Stay tuned for chapter 2! It'll be released with chapter 6 of Touched by an Angel! and chapter 4 of Amber Skies. Don't forget to leave a review! Later!


	2. Chapter 2 - The House across the Street

**Author's Notes**

**\- **Here's chapter 2 for you guys! Glad I'm getting so much feedback from this story, thanks a lot everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave a review of what you think! Later!

* * *

**Forever In Our Stars**

**Chapter 2 – The House across the Street**

* * *

"_A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same." – Elbert Hubbard_

* * *

"You can probably see why I'm not really in a friendly mood to talk to Jun right now, Ui," I said to my friend as she sat in the seat next to my hospital bed. Ui is my best friend, she's the one I've known the longest, the one I founded Wakaba Girls with, and she's the one who's always at my side. Ever since I was diagnosed with Stage I Hodgkin Lymphoma, Ui's been visiting me weekly, if not daily. Lately Ui hasn't visited a lot; the last time was well over a month ago.

"It's not Jun's fault, Azusa-chan…" Ui meekly said, "She just wants our band to strive and succeed… but I'm afraid her vision doesn't include you in it…"

"I already know that, Ui…" I said as I yawned. I groaned and stretched since Ui's sudden and unexpected visit had woken me up earlier this morning. Since it was barely past dawn, there weren't many people walking around the hospital besides nightshift doctors and patients who were on their way home and the morning shift arriving.

"Oh… I don't know if I'll be able to convince Jun-chan to pull the vote, Azusa-chan," Ui said, "Sumire-chan and Nao-chan seem pretty convinced that you aren't needed in the club anymore."

"I'm getting kicked out of the club too?!" I asked. I sighed and looked down at my bed sheets, "But… I'm the one who started it back up… I'm the president of the Light Music Club!"

"I believe Jun-chan is trying to get you voted out, Azusa-chan. You can't be the president of the Light Music Club if you're in the hospital."

"Jun…" I muttered as I clenched my fists. I felt a pair of hands cradle my left hand and I looked to see Ui with a worried look on her face.

"I'm going to try to fix everything, Azusa-chan. You just stay here and get better, alright?" Ui said, trying to make me feel better. I shook my head and a small smile formed on Ui's face, "I'll make everything right. Don't you worry."

"Thanks, Ui…" I whispered as I sniffled. I felt tears begin to form in my eyes, but I blinked them back. I feel like everything around me is vanishing from my life. I heard the doorknob shake and someone opened the door.

"Good morning, Azunyan!" Yui looked at me and Ui and stood there, "Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?"

"Nothing at all," Ui said as she stood up. She looked at me and gave me a worried and apologetic look before nodding, "I'll do whatever I can, Azusa-chan. This band needs you."

She walked away from the bed and looked at Yui. The two of them shared a long stare at each other as Yui held the door opened for her.

"Good morning," Ui smiled. Yui returned the smile and Ui left the room. I could hear the footsteps of her shoes fade down the hallway as she left the hospital.

"Who was that?" Yui asked as she closed the door.

"A friend of mine," I told her, "Ui Nakamura. She's the one who helped me start the Wakaba Girls and someone I've known since my childhood, a true friend. I remember the day she moved into the neighborhood with her mother…"

* * *

_I looked at the rental truck parked in the driveway across the street. I saw a little girl my age and who I presumed to be her mother step out of the vehicle. I felt someone put their hand on my shoulder and looked up to see my mother smiling at me._

"_Those are our new neighbors, Azusa-chan," she told me, "Now, Azusa-chan, I want you to make friends with her family, okay? They're going to be here for a long time."_

"_They will?" I asked, looking back at the mother and daughter as the two of them walked into the house while workers emptied their furniture and carried boxes in after them._

"_Hope so. You can't just have one friend forever and play with… what was your imaginary friends name again?" my mother asked. I puffed my lips and looked away._

"_Aiko is real…" I said. My mother patted my head. I looked as a black and white cat sat behind my mother and licked its paw. I was brought back to reality by my mother looking at me. I gazed back at the spot where Aiko was and he was gone._

"_Azusa-chan, you're 10 years old. You need to make more friends and forget about Aiko. What would your father say if he knew you still played with your imaginary friend?" my mother said. I grew angry at her and felt my face flush with embarrassment of the mentioning of my father._

"_Dad's never around to say when he thinks anyway…" I muttered as I tried to subdue my anger. My mother tilted her head and had a sad look on her face. My father was hardly around, but when it's the right time, he's always home, but never stays. _

"_You're right…" she said as she sighed, "Well, I have to get ready for work now, Azusa-chan. I want you to go and meet our new neighbors. I love you."_

_I felt the warm kiss of my mother's lips land on my forehead before I heard her footsteps echo into our house, with the door shutting behind her. I looked back at the house across the street and saw the same girl from earlier peeping out through the window. She saw me looking at her and faintly waved. I cracked a small, awkward smile before looking away due to my shyness._

_I looked back to the house and saw that the girl was still peeking at me through the window. A smile formed on her face as I began to walk towards the house. I looked both ways before crossing and made my way onto their front lawn, where the men from earlier were busy carrying boxes into the home._

"_Yes, yes… I know that," I heard a mature voice say. I looked at the door and saw the mother of the girl walk out of the house, a phone pressed against her face, "Tell him to pay the Ui-chan's insurance as well. Bastard hasn't done anything good since we separated. Call me back later."_

_She ended her conversation and looked at me as I stood in her driveway. She blinked at me for a second before calling out, "Ui-chan! I think someone's here to see you!" she walked up to me and kneeled down so our faces met, "Hi there, little one. What's your name?"_

"_Az-Azusa… N-Nakano…" I stuttered as I pointed to my house across the street, "I-I'm… your neighbor."_

"_Nice to meet you, Azusa-chan," the woman said as she extended her arm out. I looked at the hand present in front of me and drifted my eyes away, "I'm Yumiko… Nakamura. Me and my daughter just moved into the neighborhood. It's very kind of you that you came over to our home and greeted us."_

"_M-my mother told me to…" I said. The lady known as Yumiko smiled at me, "S-she said to make friends with the new neighbors."_

"_Well, Azusa-chan," Yumiko said, "I'm too old to be your playmate. But, my Ui-chan here can become your friend. She's a nice girl. I believe you two are going to be good friends."_

_As she said that a girl approached the two of us. It was the same girl from earlier, with her brown hair tired into a small ponytail by a yellow ribbon. I looked down at the ground and saw the shadow of Yumiko stand up and walk away, with a smaller shadow hovering over me. I saw the shadow extend their hand out._

"_Hi," a female voice said to me, "I'm Ui."_

"_Hi…" I said as I looked at Ui smile at me. I smiled back and shook her hand. I could tell this was going to be a long and great friendship._

* * *

"Ui's always been there for me. I knew when me and her met that we would be best friends," I said as the memory of my first meeting with Ui faded away. I looked at Yui as she sat down in the seat where Ui sat. I heard her lightly snoring as she rested her head on her hands. I looked at her and sighed, "Yui-senpai…"

"Fooled you, Azunyan!" she instantly looked up, causing me to flinch and raise an eyebrow at her, "A-ha! Got you to call me 'Yui-senpai' again!" she giggled. I rolled my eyes at her and sighed again.

"Would you stop calling me that?" I asked. She shook her head and pouted.

"Azunyan fits you, Azunyan! Didn't we already go over this yesterday?" she folded her arms.

"Yui-senpai doesn't fit you…" I retorted. She frowned at me and I ignored the sad look in her eyes. I felt a tap on my shoulder and saw the image of a sad Yui closer to me. I sighed, "Fine, fine… Yui-senpai _might _suit you, but there are no promises on me calling you that."

"Ah, I see, Azunyan, but everyone makes mistakes," she said, "You might make a mistake of calling me your senpai!"

"Oh, Yui-chan," I looked at Ayana as she stood in the doorway, holding the door wide open so I could see the passing medical staff and patients.

"Good morning, Ayana-chan!" Yui waved to her. The nurse waved back and walked into the room. I brought myself out of the sheets and sat on the edge of my bed.

"Aki-chan has already cleaned your room, Yui-chan. It's time to get ready for your first Support Group meeting," Ayana said. I cringed at the mentioning of the Support Group, it's not that I hated it, but I strongly opposed the idea of a bunch of children with cancer meeting once a week to feel sorry for one another. It was something I _had _to go to.

"Oh, boy! My first meeting!" Yui said. She looked at me with a smile, "I'll see you later, Azunyan!"

With that, Yui got up and left the room, filled with excitement. Ayana closed the door and made her way over to my bed. I got out of my bed and saw my clothes that I was going to wear today sitting on a table across the room. I walked over to my clothes and the mirror as Ayana began cleaning my bed.

"Are you ready for the Support Group meeting this week, Azusa-chan?" I looked at Ayana as she folded my bed sheets. I looked at her as she turned to me, "I know you don't like it, but it's something to help you with your problems."

"I'm never ready for it…" I said as I looked away. I looked into the mirror and found a whole different person staring back at me. I frowned as I began to tie my hair into the twin pigtails I had it in everyday using black hair ties.

"But this time you'll be going with Yui-chan," Ayana said, "This is her first time going to a Support Group, so make sure she enjoys it! Who knows? Maybe you'll start enjoying it now that Yui-chan is going with you."

"Or maybe I'll lose the last bit of excitement for it because Yui-senpai's there…" I muttered. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw the 'normal' Azusa Nakano with pigtails staring back this time. Ayana shot a glare at me and raised her eyebrow. I turned around and our eyes met.

"'Yui-senpai'…?" Ayana asked before she stifled a giggle. I felt my face turn red and warm before I furrowed my eyebrows in anger.

"I didn't mean that! It was a reflex!" I hissed at Ayana. She giggled a little bit more before stopping and sighing with happiness.

"You've always wanted someone to look up to, huh, Azusa-chan? I'm positive that you've finally found them. You've finally found someone you can call your 'senpai'," Ayana said.

"What do you mean?" I asked her. I looked back at myself in the mirror and at my clothes. Even though my mother didn't visit me often, she always brought new clothes that would exactly fit me with her during every visit. What I had to wear for the day was a light-blue tank top, with yellow parts on the shoulders and a pink star in the middle. For my bottoms, there were black tights and black overalls to wear over the tights and tank top. To top it off, I had black and white sneakers to finish the outfit.

"Throughout your time here at Sakuragaoka, you've only really had me and Aki-chan to talk to, but since Yui-chan arrived… let's just say I've been seeing a smile on your face more often… and that makes me happy," she said.

"I'm glad to know you're happy, Taketatsu-san, but…" I drifted away from my words as I began leaving my patient attire as I pulled the tank top over my body. I pulled the tights up my legs and pulled the straps of the overalls over my shoulders. I smiled at myself in the mirror as I found Ayana standing behind me.

"You should fix your hair, Azusa-chan," she said in a sweet, motherly tone as she began untying my twin pigtails. I frowned as I saw my hair fall down to the style I had it in every day as I woke up, and then I would fix them into pigtails. Ayana pulled my hair back and began tying it together with a light-blue hair tie, to match my tank top, "Okay, close your eyes."

"Taketatsu-san… is this really necessary?" I asked her as I closed my eyes and entered the darkness. I felt her work through my hair and pulled it over my left shoulder. She patted my head.

"Okay, Azusa-chan… open your eyes!" her cheery voice sounded in my ears. I opened my eyes and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair had gone from twin pigtails into a long ponytail that lay on my left shoulder. She left my bangs untouched and was standing behind me proudly, "You look so beautiful, Azusa-chan."

"It looks… remarkable…" I gasped with astonishment at my hair. Never had I tied my hair into a ponytail before, but seeing it now makes me want to do it more often. I looked back at Ayana and I felt my eyes water up.

"Azusa-chan, what's wrong?" she asked me as she placed a hand on my shoulder. I smiled and shook my head.

"It's nothing," I said to her as I wiped the tears away. Truth is, ever since I got to Sakuragaoka, I haven't had the option of calling anyone a mother, except for the woman that visits me ever so often. Ayana was the closest person I had to a mother as of right now…

"Ah, alright," Ayana said to me as she took her hand off my shoulder. I slipped into my sneakers and followed her as she led me outside to the hallways, where it was busier than before, most likely since today was one of those days where everyone suddenly had things to do, especially those in therapy.

"Where's Yui-senpai?" I asked, disregarding the fact that I just mentioned Yui as Yui-senpai in public. I shrugged it off and looked around for the brunette so we could head to the Support Group meeting, which was at the local recreation center.

"Hey Azunyan, Ayana-chan!" I heard Yui's voice in the crowds. I turned around and saw her walking towards us, along with Aki. Yui was out of her gown as well and my eyes widened at her appearance. I thought she would wear something more casual, but Yui was wearing a red knee-high skirt with white flat shoes. Over her top she wore a white tank top with a blue pin near her shoulder.

"Good morning, Azusa-chan!" Aki's voice sounded in my ears. It was quite the same as Yui's voice, except Aki's was deeper, and that was because she was older than Yui. The two of them approached us and smiled. Ayana returned the smile as I continued staring at Yui's outfit, bewildered.

"You look so cute, Azunyan!" Yui said to me. I tensed at what she had just said and felt my face heat up. I turned away as a blush formed on my face. I heard Yui giggled at me before I saw her extend her hand.

"What's this?" I asked as I turned back to her. In her hands was a green pin. I looked up at her with a confused look and an arched eyebrow. She smiled as she pinned the green pin to the right strap of my overalls. I took a step back at the interaction, "What was that for?"

"It's so we can match, Azunyan!" she said as she pointed to the blue pin on her right shoulder. I sighed as I looked down at the pin on my shoulder. It was actually kinda cute and made my outfit shine some more… Yui doesn't need to know that.

"I see…" I said. A little crack at the edge of my lips formed. Yui's eyes shined with brightness as we turned back to our nurses, who were in their own conversation.

"Are you two ready to head to the Support Group?" Ayana asked. I nodded my head and Yui did the same. Ayana looked at Aki and the latter smiled.

"Ayana will be taking you two there, and after that you two will head straight back here so you can get some rest for the day," Aki explained to us, "So, have fun!"

"Let's go now, you two," Ayana said to us. Yui called her hands excitedly as we followed Ayana into the parking lot of the Medical Center. She led us to a minivan that was parked in the lot, "This is my personal vehicle."

We entered the minivan and Ayana ignited the engines of the vehicle. In a moment, I found us driving down the street to the recreational center. We hit a few bumps on the way and before I knew it, we were in the parking lot of the recreational center. Ayana rolled up on the curb and Yui and I got out.

"We're here! Have fun, okay?" Ayana said as she rolled down the windows as we got out of the minivan, "Make some friends!" she said with a cheery voice and with that, she drove away and disappeared down the street.

"Whoa, this place is big!" Yui exclaimed as we stood outside of the two-story building. It was quite big for being just a recreational center. At this place, different activities happened every day, such as Drug-Free meetings, Boy Scout and Girl Scout meetings, and many more.

I sighed as I opened the large double-doors that were the entrance into the building. I heard Yui close the door as she followed behind me, oohing and aahing at every sight.

I walked down the halls and opened a door to one of the many rooms in the recreational center. I walked in and Yui followed me. I found some other teenagers around our age sitting in a circle in the middle of the room. I walked towards the circle and took a seat in between a boy in a wheelchair and a girl with an oxygen tank sitting next to her, with tubes going up her nose.

The two of them shot me smiles and I returned them faint smirks. I looked on as Yui sat down on the opposite side of the circle, next to two girls that seemed to be completely normal. I looked at the girl who was the oldest of us, known as Satomi Satō, the current leader of our small Support Group.

"Welcome back to the Support Group, everyone," Satomi said to all of us, "I'm Satomi Satō, I'm 19, and I was once a victim of Osteosarcoma. I am now cancer free due to my leg being amputated. As always, I'm your leader on this pathway to happiness and to seek a better, cancer-free life."

Everyone greeted Satomi and I looked down at her jeans to see a small opening, and I saw the plastic leg that was her prosthetic leg, which would make up for her lost one. I frowned at the sight.

"Let's start by introducing ourselves. Who wants to go first?" I heard Satomi ask. She must've caught me looking at her leg, "What about you, Nakano-san? You went last the last time we met. How about now?"

I diverted my attention to Satomi. She was now looking at me as if she was staring deep into my soul. I gulped and stood up. I bowed at the small circle and looked at everyone before starting.

"Hi… I'm Azusa Nakano… I'm 16," I said to the small circle, "I have Stage I Hodgkin Lymphoma and I'm feeling fine today…" I said as I sat down. Satomi nodded her head in approval as she looked at Yui.

"You're new, right? How about you tell us who you are, sweetie?" Satomi asked Yui as she brushed her bangs away from her face. Yui stood up and bowed to the group.

"I'm Yui Hirasawa! I'm 17 years old. I have Stage I Colon Cancer and I'm doing great today!" Yui said in an energetic tone. She gained the attention of everyone else and they all raised an eyebrow at the newcomers sudden burst of happiness, even though she has Colon Cancer. A couple of voices spoke up through the small circle.

"It's nice to meet you, Hirasawa-san."

"You have Colon Cancer too? Welcome to the club."

"Finally, someone who shows some excitement in their life."

Yui smiled at all of the comments she received from the others and took her seat. I found myself to be smiling at Yui's actions as well. I blushed and looked away as everyone else began introducing themselves. I looked at Yui and the two of us exchanged smirks, except Yui's was much larger than mine.

As soon as everyone finished introducing themselves, we all looked to Satomi for the next thing in our meeting.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," she said to us, "Now it's time for all of us to decide on what we want to do in our lives once we're cancer-free."

For the next hour or so we all talked about what our paths would be after school. Yui and I both decided on trying to make it big in music while everyone else looked into jobs working as lawyers, teachers, or doctors. Someone even said they want to be a physical therapist. For a while it seemed like everything was normal, nobody was sick, and it sure didn't seem like anyone had cancer to begin with. We were just a small group of acquaintances just having fun in our free time.

"Well, that concludes it for this week's Support Group meeting," Satomi said as she stood up, "I hope all of you have reflected upon your choices and you will start looking towards a bright future ahead of you."

"Eh? But it hasn't even been that long," I said to Satomi as everyone else began standing up. Satomi looked back at me and cracked a small grin.

"Looks like you're starting to enjoy the Support Group, Nakano-san," she said to me. I raised an eyebrow at her as she continued, "What probably seemed like an hour to you, it's been a couple more for us. It's 5 o'clock and the sun's already set, time for everyone to head back to their residence."

"N-no way…" I sat there, dumbfounded. I looked at Satomi as she waved goodbye to a couple of other teenagers. She soon left the room and I found myself to be alone, still seated at the circle of chairs.

"Let's go, Azunyan!" I heard Yui's voice. I looked around for the brunette and found no sight of her. I felt a sudden weight on my shoulders and turned around to see Yui hugging me. I flinched at the interaction and shook her off of me.

"Yui-senpai!" I scolded her. Yui pouted and folded her arms as she looked away, "This is _not _the place for that! What am I saying – that is never allowed! Anywhere we go!"

"Aw, but Azunyan…" she continued pouting.

"Come on…" I said as I grabbed the pouting brunettes hand and led her to the doors of the recreational center. Others passed us as Yui stopped me when we neared the exit. I let go of her hand and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I had a really fun day, Azunyan," Yui said to me, "I hope it doesn't end as quickly as it's supposed to."

"Same here," I said. I looked at Yui as she tilted her head and smiled.

"I hope we can do this again!" she said in a polite tone. I nodded in agreement and we exited the recreational center and found the same teenagers from the Support Group waiting in various places of the parking lot.

"Where's Taketatsu-san?" I asked as Yui and I stood in the parking lot of the recreational center. I looked around for the minivan that Ayana dropped us off in, but found no sight of the vehicle. Yui simply shrugged as we watched the other teenagers from the Support Group get picked up. Soon it was just the two of us in the parking lot.

"Yo, Yui," a voice said. I looked to where the voice was coming from in the parking lot and found a hooded girl approaching us. The girl wore a black hoodie with a visible white undershirt, blue tights with yellow shorts over her tights, and blue and white sneakers. Just like Yui and I, she had an orange pin near her right shoulder. The girl had a hood over her head that covered her face, which made it hard to see her in the night time.

Yui looked at the approaching girl and took a few steps closer, squinting at the figure.

"Ricchan?" I looked at Yui as she approached the hooded girl. The girl pulled down her hood and revealed herself to have short, light brown hair that was pulled back by a yellow headband. The girl that Yui described as Ricchan cracked a smile at Yui.

"Hey, Yui," she said as the two embraced each other. The two pulled apart from their hug and Ricchan nodded towards me, "Who's she?"

"Oh," Yui looked back at me, "This is Azusa Nakano, she's a friend I met at Sakuragaoka… Azunyan, this is Ritsu Tainaka, but I like to call her 'Ricchan'."

My eyes widened at the introducing to Ritsu. I remembered Yui told me yesterday about Ritsu Tainaka, the drummer of their band and apparently the spirit that 'pulls them all together'.

"_So, first there's Ricchan. She's the drummer of our band," she began. I raised an eyebrow at her as she continued, "Ricchan is just a nickname, and her real name is Ritsu Tainaka. She's really nice! Oh, and she's funny. She's the spirit of our band."_

"Nice to meet you, Azusa-chan," Ritsu said to me. I flinched as I was brought back from yesterday's memory. I looked at her bowed. She smiled as I raised myself back up.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tainaka-san," I said.

"Oh, please, call me Ritsu," she said to me. I nodded and she cracked a grin.

"Okay, Ritsu… senpai," the word escaped from my mouth. I cupped my hands over my mouth at the sudden use of the honorific and gasped. Ritsu chuckled as the two of them stared at me.

"I like her, Yui," she said to the brunette. Yui agreed with her as the two exchanged glances with one another, "Hopefully she'll be fun when we go out tonight."

"Going out?" I asked as the two of them looked at me, "Uh… Yui-senpai… we're supposed to back to Sakuragaoka and get some rest. Taketatsu-san will pick us up, remember? Yui-senpai?"

"You're so cute, Azunyan…" Yui patted my head, "You must understand that you need to have some freedom in your life. So… I talked with Ayana-chan and Aki-chan… and received their approval so that you can come out tonight! You're not terminal, so what harm can be done?"

"A lot of harm…" I muttered as I looked away. My first time out in a long time… and with new people…

"So, where are we going, Ricchan?" Yui asked her. I raised an eyebrow at Yui, but the brunette shrugged me off.

"We're going to go out tonight," Ritsu said as she walked towards one of the cars in the parking lot. I looked as she pulled out a key and pressed a button on it, causing the alarm on one of the cars to disarm and beep twice. I looked at the car she was approaching and saw it was a Honda Accord of the year 2000 model. She opened the door and took a seat in the driver's seat. She looked at me and Yui, "You guys coming?" she yelled.

I exchanged looks with Yui and the brunette just shrugged. I looked around for Ayana and her minivan, with a hope that I could just go back 'home' and crawl into bed, but to no avail. I sighed and followed Yui to Ritsu's car. Yui hopped into shotgun and I opened the back door to the passenger's side.

I looked back at the recreational center that Yui and I just exited and saw a black and white cat sitting across the street, licking its paws. I cracked a smile at the cat and it disappeared, "Aiko…"

I heard Ritsu and Yui calling my name and I took my seat in the car and shut the door. As the engines ignited I sat back in the seat and exhaled.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

**Forever In Our Stars**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**\- **This concludes chapter 2! Okay, I lied in the last chapter, I can't handle waiting to update all of my stories at the same time. Maybe in the future I will update all of them at the same time, but I got too impatient to do it this time. I didn't feel like waiting to finish chapter 4 of Amber Skies and chapter 7 of Touched by an Angel! Sorry for the inconvenience, but it's for the better good! As always, I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to leave a review about what you think or want to see in Forever In Our Stars!

**\- **Oh, if I didn't mention it in last chapter's AN, the two nurses that help Azusa and Yui are Ayana Taketatsu and Aki Toyosaki. Both of them are voice actors for the Azusa(Ayana) and Yui(Aki) in the anime series. Satomi Satō is also Ritsu's voice actor.

**\- **Ritsu wasn't supposed to appear in this chapter, but I decided to put her in and bam! She drives!

**\- **The two outfits that Yui and Azusa wear are their second outfits from the second ED of season 2, No, Thank You! I just love seeing Azusa in a ponytail, it suits her, but the pigtails are quite nice as well. The green pin that Yui pins onto Azusa's straps of her overalls completes the outfit from the ED. The shoes that both Yui and Azusa are wearing were added on, since there is no official outfit design from No, Thank You! that shows their shoes, in their second outfits.

**\- **Ritsu's outfit is also based off the one in No, Thank You!, I just added the headband because, y'know, she needs her signature headband, right?

**\- **I don't know when the rest of the members of the Wakaba Girls will make an official appearance in the story, but I know that in the next chapter, you'll encounter a certain keyboardist and bassist. Stay tuned!

**\- **Ui Nakamura… hmm… I wonder which direction that will take in the story.

**\- **There will be a special announcement in chapter 4 of Amber Skies. Be sure to read that story for the special announcement! Hint: it has something to do with me launching another fanfic! Woohoo!

**\- **Well, that ends it for the AN. I'll see you all in the next chapter and as always, stay awesome! Later!


	3. Chapter 3 - Touching The Past

**Author's Notes**

**\- **CHAPTER 3 IS FINALLY HERE, AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR OF HIATUS.

\- I hope you all enjoy! Don't forget to leave a review of what you think, and forgive me for not updating sooner!

* * *

**Forever In Our Stars**

**Chapter 3 – Touching The Past**

* * *

"_The past is never where you think you left it." – Katherine Anne Porter_

* * *

"Where are we going?" I asked Ritsu as she drove the car down the road. I couldn't believe the predicament I was in, I just met her 5 minutes ago and here I am in her car. My parents would be so disappointed in me… after all the times they told me not to trust strangers.

"We're going to go meet some friends, Azusa-chan," Ritsu said to me as the car came to a stop at a red light. She took the moment to take a look back at me in order to reassure my feelings about being in the car with her. "It's going to be fine. Like Yui said, your caregivers said it was alright for you to be here with us."

"Caregivers?" I raised an eyebrow at her and folded my arms in disappointment. "You mean nurses, right? Caregivers are nurses who are for the elderly and disabled, Ritsu-senpai."

"Nurses, right," Ritsu chuckled as she handled the steering wheel. I felt the car resume its journey as we began driving down the road once more. The car took a swift left turn and before I knew it, I found us to be alone on the road, with nobody behind or in-front of us. Ritsu sighed as she leaned back in her seat. Yui looked out the window and I did the same, staring at the stars shining above us.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it, Azunyan?" Yui asked me. I slowly nodded as I quickly glanced at Yui, who directed her eyesight to the stars as well. "This is just one of those nights where everything is just so… so perfect…"

"You got the stars shining above, a full moon in the horizon, and you're on a drive with friends," Ritsu joined in. "It's everything you want, kid. It's everything you deserve."

"What's that supposed to mean, Ritsu-senpai?" I asked our driver. She shrugged and I raised an eyebrow at her. "Ritsu-senpai?"

"It's just… I've known Yui most, if not all, my life. Our little group of friends has always been together. When Yui was diagnosed with colon cancer, Azusa… we were torn apart," Ritsu said. "Mugi and Mio cried for days and what did I do? I had the road to guide me."

"Ricchan…" Yui said to Ritsu and I found the air-headed girl beginning to tear up. "I didn't know you all suffered because of me… I'm so, so sorry!"

"Geez, Yui! If you get any tears on this new jacket, I'll crack you a new one! I'm trying to drive here!"

I heard a soft purring and turned to find Aiko in the seat next to me.

"Aiko…" I whispered to myself as I found the cat sitting next to me. Aiko mewed and jumped onto my lap, taking a seat. I ran my fingers in his elegant black and white fur from his head all the way down to his tail. He purred in pleasure as I continued doing so, "After all these years, Aiko… you finally came back to me."

Aiko looked up at me and mewed again, but this time, he wiggled his tail at the same time. My mouth curved into a grin as he yawned. "Tired?"

"Who you talking to back there, Azusa?" Ritsu called out from the driver's seat.

"Huh?" I looked at Ritsu for a quick second before glancing down towards where Aiko was on my lap, only to find my cat to be gone – as if he was never there in the first place. "It… it was nothing…"

"I'm really, really sorry, Ricchan!" Yui shouted at the girl next to her, taking

Ritsu sighed and deviously grinned, finding her opportunity to make Yui feel guilty.

"I mean, geez, you should've seen Mio's face when she found out Yui has cancer – she bawled like a baby," Ritsu scoffed before flanking back at me. "Oh, I'm sorry. Mio's the bassist of our band. She's pretty emotional when it comes to this type of stuff."

"… You cried too, Ricchan," Yui said to her. The latter slowly nodded her head and lightly chuckled.

"Then again, Azusa… I guess we all are."

"I-I see…" I slowly nodded my head.

"Along with Mio, you have Mugi, our keyboardist," Ritsu continued. "She's really, really rich."

"The way you say it makes it sound like you only like her for her money…"

"Ha! Funny story, Azusa, Mugi did think that of us in the past. Having a friend who has a lot of money is a nice thing, believe me, but I'm friends with Mugi because of how great of a person she is."

"And her snacks and tea! Mugi-chan's treats are the best!" Yui added.

"Well, we're here," Ritsu said as the car came to a stop. I looked out the window and saw a two-story house that was fairly large. Ritsu pulled the car into the driveway and the engines of the car died.

"Where are we?" I curiously asked, feeling hesitant about getting out of the car.

"We're at my house. Make yourself at home, oh, and don't forget to take your shoes off before you go inside – my mom hates when that happens, and she'll eventually take it out on me," she said before narrowing her auburn eyes down at me. "So… _please _take off your shoes."

"Ri-right…" I slowly nodded before unclipping my seatbelt and opening the passenger door, hearing the sound of the car beeping as Yui opened her door as well.

The three of us walked up to the door of Ritsu's house, the light fixture above us turning on. Ritsu knocked on the door before opening it, walking into her house. She took off her shoes and placed it by the door she held open for Yui and I. Next to her shoes were two other pairs of shoes, pink running shoes and black boots.

I walked into the house and Ritsu glared at me. I raised an eyebrow at her before taking off my shoes, placing them next to hers. She nodded in approval and Yui did the same. Ritsu lead the two of us to the living room, where I could hear small chatter.

In the living room, two people sat on the couch, exchanging laughter and small talk I was too far away to hear. One of them was a blonde with thick eyebrows and sapphire-blue eyes, while the other was a girl with long jet-black hair and gray eyes. The two of them looked up at us and I saw a look of joy form on their faces.

"You must be Azusa-chan," the blonde said as she smiled to me. "I'm Tsumugi Kotobuki, but you may call me Mugi for short. It's a pleasure to meet you, Azusa-chan!"

"L-likewise… Mugi-senpai…" I muttered back.

"I'm Mio Akiyama," the other girl said with a small smile. "Nice to meet you, Azusa."

"And you, Mio-senpai," I bowed to the two girls.

Mio wore a long white t-shirt, with a violet hoodie sitting beside her on the couch. A dark-gray belt and pink tights comprised the rest of her outfit.

Mugi's attire made it seem like she just came back from jogging. A baggy, pink shirt with a visible red one underneath. She wore a green and violet button over her pink shirt. A pair over violet shorts overlapped her dark-violet tights.

"Yo, Mio," Ritsu waved with a smile. "How's it going, Dangerous Queen?"

"Mio-chan, Mugi-chan!" Yui yelled out to the two girls before running towards them, diving onto the couch in between the two of them. "I've missed you guys!"

"You act as if you haven't seen them in ages," I deadpanned.

"I haven't!" Yui exclaimed as she pulled both girls into a hug.

"Aheh… truth be told, Azusa, this is the first time we've all gotten together in a while," Ritsu nervously chuckled.

"I see…"

I felt a sudden pain in my stomach and I clenched it, attracting the attention of the four girls around. The growing tightness within me brought out everlasting pain to my stomach. I gritted my teeth and backed away from them.

"Azusa-chan? Are you okay?" Mugi asked me out of concern.

"Azu-Azunyan? What's wrong?" Yui asked with wide eyes.

"Do you need me to get something for you, Azusa?" Mio proposed.

"I'm… I'm fine…" I waved off their concerns. "I just need… I just need to go outside…"

I walked out from the living room and into the kitchen, where I found a sliding door that led to the outside patio in the Tainaka household. I gripped my hand onto the handle of the sliding door in the kitchen, only to hear the sound of footsteps approach behind me.

"Hey, where you going? Don't you want to get to know Mio and Mugi?" Ritsu asked me.

I nodded my head and smiled.

"I just want to catch a quick scent of fresh air."

"O-oh, alright…" she nodded back.

I slid the door open and walked outside to the patio, taking a gaze up to the night sky – the bright illumination of the stars shining down.

The door slid open behind me and I found Ritsu walking up next to me. She let out a shudder before finally looking up at the sky.

"The night sky is beautiful, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah…" I nodded. "The stars are what makes it as beautiful as it is."

"Hey, Azusa…" Ritsu leaned in closer to me.

"Hu-huh?" I batted my eyes at her.

"I have to tell you something, but promise me you'll keep it a secret."

"You're… you're in love with Mio-senpai?" I abruptly asked, causing the girl before me to quizzically tilt her head to the side and stare and me with a blank expression. "I mean… it's really obvious you have feelings for Mio-senpai, so I wouldn't–"

"EH!? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?" she shouted. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY!"

"O-oh…"

"Listen, you and Yui have been friends for quite some time now. This is a secret that involves her, but thing is… she doesn't know about it."

"Wh-what… what is it, Ritsu-senpai?"

"Yui's father never told her, but when she was admitted to Sakuragaoka, he told the rest of us. Yui…" Ritsu let out a long sigh before looking back up at me. "Yui has a little sister…"

"Li-little sister…" I repeated. "How does… how does Yui-senpai not know?"

"Her mother and father split up when Yui was young and her sister was born. I don't know why, but her mother took Yui's sister and Yui was taken by her father, so their family was split apart. I doubt her sister knows either, so the situation is difficult."

"And… and what do you want me to do?"

"Heh, how'd you know I was going to ask you to do something?" she faintly grinned.

"You wouldn't have told me that out of nowhere without a reason," I said. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well… Yui really seems to like you, Azusa. We were hoping that you could help us… tell her…"

"What's stopping the rest of you?"

"It's just…" Ritsu hesitated for a second and gulped. "It's just seeing Yui like that…"

I held up my hand for Ritsu to stop and she did.

"Anything for Yui-senpai," I felt the words escape from my mouth and I nodded.

"So, you'll help?"

"Yeah," I nodded once more.

"I have another thing I want to ask you, Azusa…"

"What is it, Ritsu-senpai?"

"Is it really that obvious?" she asked with a blank stare.

* * *

**Forever In Our Stars**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**\- **Short but we're back in business with this story! I would give you all a bullshit reason as to why I haven't updated this for a good year, but the truth is, I just got really lazy with this concept, but after spending a good month of reevaluating – I've found a steady plot. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all in chapter 4!


	4. Chapter 4 - Parental Guidance

**Author's Notes**

**\- **Heyo! Chapter 4 is here for you! Although I couldn't keep up well enough to my verdict that I'd update sooner, this is all I can cook for you as of right now. I'm sorry! :( But senior year is important, and working at In N Out takes up most of my time now. I hope you enjoy what I have, and I'll see you all later!

* * *

**Forever In Our Stars**

**Chapter 4 – Parental Guidance**

* * *

"_Cheating and lying aren't struggles, they're reasons to break up." – Patti Callahan Henry_

* * *

Yumiko Nakamura stood inside the church, staring at her soon-to-be husband before her, Tarō Hirasawa. His adventurous, fun-filled personality was one of the main reasons she fell in love with him, but it also helped that he had the same passion for traveling that she had.

The priest donned in a black dress shirt and black pants, with a white collar around his neck droned on, giving the same speech that any other priest would do at a wedding ceremony.

And finally, the priest came to a pause before smiling at the two. Yumiko and Tarō turned to face him, and found themselves holding hands with one another.

"Tarō Hirasawa, do you take Yumiko Nakamura to be your wedded wife? Will you comfort her, and keep her, and do you vow that for time and for eternity, you will be together forever more?"

"I do," Tarō grinned.

The priest then turned towards Yumiko.

"Yumiko Nakamura, do you take Tarō Hirasawa to be your wedded husband? Will you comfort him, and keep him, and do you vow that for time and for eternity, you will be together forever more?" he repeated with a bright smile.

"I…" the brunette gulped, staring out into the crowds before her. She stared back towards her fiancé and found his face filled with nothing but anticipation.

"Um, Yumiko-chan…" the priest whispered to her. "Your answer?"

"I do…" Yumiko nodded before curving her lips into a small smile.

Loud applause came from the audience filled with family members before them. Tarō's face lit up with glee, and the priest chuckled.

"Well, then – Tarō-kun, you may kiss the bride!"

In a split second, Tarō pulled Yumiko closer to him and their lips met. The applause faded away as Yumiko was sucked into the passionate, love-filled kiss.

What she felt was complete happiness.

And she hoped that it would last.

* * *

"Hold on!" Tarō shouted.

He found himself on the other side of the room, standing before an enraged Yumiko as she held a pillow in her hands.

"I knew it!" Yumiko yelled, throwing the pillow at her husband. "I always knew you were up to no good! You damn bastard!"

She gritted her teeth in anger and balled her hands into fists.

"Yu-Yumiko! I-I can explain!"

"How can you explain!? I'm out working and you're cheating on me? You're the worst! I regret marrying you! I almost ran out of the church that day, you know? I wish I _did_!"

"Wa-wait! She-she's the one who ca-came onto me first!" Tarō shook his head. "Yumiko, please! I love you!"

"You…you love me?" Yumiko took a step back.

"Of course I do! After five years of being married…I still love you!" Tarō shouted.

"Hah! Like hell you do!" Yumiko growled. "Did you not stop and think about our daughters!? While…while you we-were…doing those _things_ with other women! You're pathetic! I _hate_ you!"

"Mo-mommy?" a voice called out from the doorway.

Yumiko turned towards the voice and found her three-year old daughter Yui peeking out from the corner, with a frightened two-year old Ui clenching onto her sister's shirt.

"Onee…onee-chan…?" Ui's soft voice said.

"U-Ui…Yui…" Yumiko's voice drained.

She turned back to face Tarō, and balled her hands into fists once more. Instead of taking her rage out on her husband, Yumiko turned around and walked towards her daughters. She grabbed onto Yui's wrist and pulled the two of them along with her down the hallway.

"Yumiko! Wait!" Tarō called out after his wife as followed after her.

"Wa-wait, mommy!" Yui called out as both her and Ui struggled to keep up with their mother. "Where are we going?"

"Onee-chan!" Ui cried.

Yumiko ignored her family's voices, feeling warm tears roll down her face as she stormed to the front door. All of a sudden, a tight grip held onto her wrist. She found Tarō clinging onto her wrist, stopping Yumiko at the door.

"Yumiko…where are you going?"

"I am leaving, and _my_ daughters are going to come with me!" Yumiko tearfully cried. "You won't ever see them again!"

"Yo-you can't…" Tarō shook his head.

"Bu-but…mommy…what about daddy?" Yui asked. "Isn't he coming with us?"

Yumiko sniffled and turned towards her daughters, slowly shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, Yui…but daddy won't be with us anymore…"

"Huh?" Yui shrieked. "I don't want to leave daddy!"

She broke free of Yumiko's grip, running towards Tarō as she hugged her father's leg. Tarō reached his arms down and hugged Yui, frowning towards Yumiko.

"Yui…" Yumiko sighed as she reached out for the brunette.

"No! You won't take her away from me!" Tarō yelled, tightening his grip on Yui.

Ignoring him, Yumiko reached out once more for Yui, but her brown eyes widened as Yui hid behind her father's leg even more. Shaking her head, Yumiko walked out of the house with Ui holding onto her hand.

"I'll be back for you, Yui…and we'll all be happy together…" Yumiko muttered.

* * *

Yumiko sat in her room, staring at the picture frame of her, Yui, and Ui when her two daughters were just children. She glanced out the window and saw the darkness of the night sweeping the streets of her neighborhood – she found the house of Azusa Nakano right across the street, sitting silently still.

"So, Azusa-chan is friends with Yui now…" Yumiko said to herself. "That's…good…"

"Mom, I'm home!" Ui's voice called out from downstairs as she heard the front door shut.

Yumiko smiled as she set down the frame.

"Looks like she can bring them back together…"

She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Something I couldn't do."

* * *

**Forever In Our Stars**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**\- **And there you have it! Chapter 4 centered around the Hirasawa family. Hopefully you all got some idea as to why Ui wasn't Yui's sister at the beginning, well now you know! Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll _try _my best to be back with chapter 5 as soon as I can. Take care! :)


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